Incubator



L. DE VRIES June 23, 1931.

INCUBATOR Filed Oct. 20, 1928 Patented June 23, 1931 oEFlcE LOUIS DE VRIES, F STREATOR, ILLINOIS f Y .INGUBATOR lApplication led ctober 20, 1928. Serial No. 313,761.

This invention relates to novel improvements in incubators.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide novel means for conveniently and elliciently turning the eggs. Another object is to provide novel means and a novel method of arranging the eggs for the several successive stages of incubation and to Ventilate the eggs so that all ofthem will receive a circulation of air at atemperature suitable to the different stages of incubation. A further object is to provide an `incubator with various sets of egg trays, including a rockable cradle carrying trays at anangle between the vertical and the horizontal planes therein, with means for readily rocking said cradle and turning the trays and eggs therein. A`

still further object is to provide an incubator `with, Ventilating fan means having the fan motorl mounted at the outside of the incubator to prevent the dustarising in the incubator during matching from clogging themotor.

Another object is to provide an, incubator with an improved temperature regulator whichreduces arcing and permits an easy adjustment of temperature extremes, when a fluctuating temperature is desired instead of a steady temperature., Y

These and other` objects and advantages are attained with my invention, as will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which y Fig. 1 is a front elevational view with the doors open, and parts of the doors and other elements broken away; and i Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. y

The form of my'inventionillustrated in the drawings comprises the incubator casing having end walls 5 and 6 and a rear wall 7, all of which are double walls and provide a `continuous airspace or chamber 8 outside of the inner or main hatching chamber 9. A double ceiling or top wall covers said end and rear walls and includes an upper plate or member 10 and a lower plate or member 11 spaced to provide a foul air chamber .12 therebetween, with an intake mouth 13 in lower plate 1l and v,an outlet mouth 13 in upper plate 10 for the exit of foul air, as shown in Fig. `1. Doorsfl are hinged to walls 5 and 6 and are provided with suitable fastening means, as shown. Y

My egg trays are arranged in a novel manner and in several different sets or groups of trays. One set of trays 15 is positioned at an upper corner of the casing, said trays being removably mounted on angle members or bracket means 16`attached to end wall 6, and on angle members or bracket means 17 attached to bracket-bar means 18 depending from'top plate l1; said trays being preferably held at an inclination or angle with the horizontal plane, as indicated, being nor mally retained stationary, and serve as the primary trays for first receiving the eggsand holding them during the first day of incubat/lon. y Y L The next set of trays also includes my novel means for turning thev eggs, ycomprising a cradle or frame 2O having an axial shaft'21 journaled in bracket means 22 on end wall 6 and extending through said wall to bear a handle 23 for rocking said cradle; said cradle also having a stub shaft 2A, opposite shaft 21, journaled in a bracket 25 on an upright post 26, all arranged to retain the cradle with its axisA at an angleor inclination with the horizontal plane, substantially as indicated. Angle members 27 are provided in the cradle whereon the trays 28 are removably mounted, so asto be retained at an inclination forming a small angle withtlie vertical plane,sub stantially as shown in the drawings. Crosswise extending means'29 is mounted in these trays 28 to receive the eggs 30, preferably with the small end downward, to assureV the retention of the eggs in these trays while thus tilted. These trays 28 withv thecradle are thus rockable for turning the eggs, by operating handle 23, to turn the cradle substantially through a half circle or about 180o, thus giving all the eggs in these trays a proper turn to bringjthe former upper sides thereof into position as the new lower sides. Lugs 31 on end wall 6 limitthe swinging movement of handle 23 in either direction. A removable or swingable bar 32 may also be provided at the front of the cradle, but is not needed since the trays and cradle are rocked only through 18()0 and are rectangular, and said trays will not slide out of the cradle, as shown by handle 23 and lugs 31 in Fig. 2.

The rockable trays 28 and the primary trays 15 are preferably made alike in size and rectangular, preferably square, so that these primary egg trays 15 with the eggs therein may be slid from the primary tray brackets 16 and 17, after the first day of incubation, and inserted in the cradle to be rocked therewith at proper intervals during the following or intermediate period of incubation. These trays 28 are tilted and hold their eggs 30 in pocket-forming means 29 so that the longitudinal axes of the Veggs are also tilted upward from the horizontal plane, to prevent accidental sliding outward of these eggs from said trays.

A final or main set of hatching trays is further provided for holding the eggs, those that appear to be fertile, during the final period of incubation. This set includes trays 33, which are preferably larger than the preceding trays 15 and 28, and have a suitable meshed bottomV 34 therein. rllhese trays 33 are removably supported on bracket members 35 on end wall 5, and on bracket members 36 which are supported on suitable posts, as a front post 37 and a rear post 38 and post 26 which supports the upper shaft 24 of the cradle: and like the primary trays 15, these trays 33 are preferably held stationary during incubation, while the trays 28 inthe cradle are subjected intermittently to a halfturn to reverse the position of the eggs therein during the intermediate period of the incubation.

The heating means preferably comprises electric heating coils 40 mounted beneath cradle 20, and heating coils 41 mounted beneath the set of trays 33. rlhese coils are controlled by my improved heat regulator or thermostat 42 having a main frame or bracket means mounted beneath top plate 11, an a lower stationary arm 43, also a swingable arm 44 pivotally mounted above arm 43. An electro-magnetic member or solenoid 45 is mounted on arm 44, and its co-operating soft iron bar or core 46 is mounted in arm 43, with a screw or element 47, so as to be adjustable therein, for the purpose of adjusting the attraction of the coil on said core, to provide for a limited or slight amount of temperature variation in the incubator; whereby to produce an alternate expansion and contraction of the waste gases within the egg shells and an increased absorption of air. An expansible disk 50 is connected to arms 43 and 44, being adjustable on one thereof, by screw means 50", for separating the contact points during excessive heat. Wire 51 is coiled on Emember 45 and extends to contact point 48, and wire 52 leads from contact point 49 to the heating coils.

My novel Ventilating means for this improved incubator comprises a pipe or conduit 53 extending along the outside of the incubator and then entering the foul air chamber 1.2 between plates 10 and 11, being then curved through intake mouth 13 so that the discharge end 53 of this pipe extends toward the primary set of trays to discharge the supply of fresh air toward said trays, since the temperature in the incubator should be lower around these primary egg trays than around the following ones. A fan 54 is mounted on wall 5 near its upper end, to force the fresh air from pipe end`53 toward primary trays 15, and the fan shaft 55 is mounted air-tight through the wall and has the driving motor 56 therefor mounted at the outside of said wall 5; so as to prevent any dust, which may arise in the incubator during hatching, from entering the motor end clogging the same. A second ventilating fan 57 is placed at the inside 0f end wall 6, adjacent its lower end, and has its shaft 58 extending through said wall, While its driving motor 59 is mounted at the outside of said wall 6, to avoid its clogging from incubator dust, like the first motor 56. This fan 57 is effective in forcing the air at the lower part of the incubator from wall 6 toward the opposite wall 5, thereby moving the heated air from the heating coils to the main set of trays 33 and upward through them toward the foul air mouth 13, through foul air chamber 12 and out through outlet mouth 13. rlfhe outgoing heated foul air in chamber 12 thus is utilized for warming the incoming fresh air passing through pipe 53.

With this arrangement of the various parts and elements of the incubator, and with this arrangement of-ventilating means, a proper amount of fresh air is supplied to the `egg chamber or hatching chamber 9, is gradually raised to the required degree of heat suitablefor the various parts therein, and is efficiently circulated in a r0- tary motion around said chamber, passing first through the set of trays 15 at a moderate Vdegree of heat, then through the set of trays 28 at a greater degree of heat, and thereafter through the final set of trays 33 at the greatest degree of heat, to be in part expelled through mouth 13 and in part to continue in circulation, as all indicated by the arrows shown :in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

That I claim as lmy invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An incubator comprising a casing having a cradle mounted therein with lits axis at an inclination from a horizontal line, egg trays mounted transversely and removably in said cradle for holding eggs therein, and handle means at the outside of said casing for turning the cradle and trays a half revolution and thereby turning the eggs.

2. An incubator comprising a casing having rockable cradle means mounted therein if With the axis at an inclination from a horizontal line, egg trays mounted transversely and removably in said cradle means for hold'- ing eggs therein With their longitudinal axes inclined from a Vertical line', and means operable conveniently for turning said cradle means and trays therein a half revolution and thereby turning said eggs.

8. An incubator comprising a casing having spaced top Walls, primary and inal egg trays mounted adjacent opposite ends of said casing7 a cradle and egg trays therein mounted intermediate said primary and final egg trays and having its axis inclined from a horizontal line, means for conveniently rocking said cradle with its trays and turn the contained eggs thereby, a fresh air supply pipe extending through the space between the Walls of the top and directing the air toward t the primary trays7 and heating means and` fan means for heating and circulating the air in the casing.`

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication.

LOUIS DE VRIES. 

